Games Convention 2008: Girls
techPowerUp :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Games Convention 2008 in Leipzig, Germany is the biggest tradeshow for the Gaming Industry. So it is just normal to see loads of pretty German girls around, showcasing the latest comsole and gaming products. We took 240 photos of the sweetest girls on site. Full-res images are available in case you want to see your favourite babe every day, as desktop wallpaper.
GC08: Revised 360 Controller is ‘Limited Edition’, not World Wide – For Now
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
From eurogamer.net : <BR><I> Microsoft has confirmed our earlier report that it plans to release a new Xbox 360 controller with an improved d-pad on 24th October. “The new limited-edition green wireless controller offers enhancements to d-Pad functionality, which will add to the experience of playing games where the d-Pad is the primary control mechanism,” Microsoft told Eurogamer. However, the new pad is “a limited edition promotional item that is only available in Europe, Asia and Latin America while supplies last”, which is likely to upset fans who feel the d-pad needs full-time replacement rather than a one-off patch for PES. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: eurogamer.net
XCM Controller Shell with Rapid Fire Function
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Not many details yet, but XCM announced they will be releasing a new Xbox360 controller shell with Rapid Fire Function: <BR><I> We will release the rapid fire gear soon, which will be the 360 controller shell and building with rapid fire function. </I><BR><BR> Official Site:
Japanese Xbox 360 sales fall back to Earth
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
From joystiq.com : <BR><I> Well that was fast. It seems like just last week we were reporting the bizarre news that the Xbox 360 had suddenly leapfrogged the PS3 in weekly Japanese sales, selling nearly 25,000 units on the strength of Tales of Vesperia’s release. Things are back to normal this week, though, with Microsoft’s system once again sitting comfortably in last place with 7,258 units sold. Don’t get us wrong, this is still a relatively strong number considering the system’s historically low sales and reportedly widespread supply problems in Japan. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: joystiq.com
Xbox Originals and Backwards Compatibility come to an end?
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
From mundorare.com : <BR><I> In recent time, MR asked Global Marketing Director, Albert Pennello, regarding the future of Backwards Compatibility for the 360. While Rare fans got what they wanted, his answers were very interesting. He insisted that if there has been a title that we haven’t seen backwards compatible yet, it’s because that there have been technical difficulties putting them on the service. “People are moving on,” he said, “would you rather have those guys working on that or doing something new?” in reference to the new Xbox Live Avatar-filled Dashboard. What does this have to do with Xbox Originals, you may ask? Through different insider sources, MundoRare can confirm that Xbox Originals, the service that re-releases some Xbox 1 titles on Xbox Live, won’t be around for the same reason that Backwards Compatibility will most likely never see another update again. “I think they are pretty much done with that,” another source told us. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: mundorare.com
Radio Shack Flyer: 60GB 299, Elite 399, Arcade 199usd on Sept 7th
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
This price drop was already rumored a while ago and now these leaked Radio Shack ads seems to add confirmation. From joystiq.com : <BR><I> It appears that two of the Xbox 360 SKUs will receive a $50 price drop by the week of Sept. 7, making the 60GB model $299 and the Elite $399 — the Arcade will drop $80 to $199. A few of our retail contacts, some of whom have given us good intel in the past and who all work for separate corporations, have sent us identical information regarding a price drop. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: joystiq.com
Rumor: New 199 USD 360 SKU with motion controller?
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
From xbox360fanboy.com : <BR><I> Take it for what it’s worth, but we’ve received a tip from a source close to Microsoft’s marketing department who has shed some light on the Xbox 360 price cuts that are rumored to be going down in a few weeks time. More specifically, the $199 Xbox 360 Arcade bundle. According to the source, Microsoft will be positioning the Arcade bundle to be in direct competition with the Wii, meaning that the marketing push behind it will focus on family friendly entertainment. With family oriented games on the packaging, the Arcade console will come packaged with the traditional Arcade goodies (512MB memory card, etc.), the new Fall update pre-loaded as well as a motion controller and a few motion controlled mini games developed by Rare. That’s right, a motion controller! Supposedly, the motion controller will work with all 360 consoles and will even be sold separately, bundled with an even more expansive list of mini motion controlled games. This new $199 Xbox 360 Arcade bundle is said to release Holiday 2008. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: xbox360fanboy.com
Release This: Too Human, Sims 2: Apartment Life Head U.S. Lineup
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Gamasutra’s latest “Release This!” explores a week that brings the debut of Too Human and The Sims 2: Apartment Life in the United States, as Japan prepares for J-League Winning Eleven 2008 Club Championship and Inazuma Eleven.
Kmart adscan gives us more 360 price cut proof
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
From xbox360fanboy.com : <BR><I> Adding to our mountain of September Xbox 360 price cut proof that we’ve constructed over the past few weeks, today we bring you yet another piece of adscan evidence. Pictured is a supposed Kmart retail adscan from the week of September 7th that lists the rumored Xbox 360 console price cuts: $199 for an Arcade, $299 for a Pro and $399 for an Elite. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: xbox360fanboy.com
Kojima wishes people would stop asking about MGS4 on 360
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
From eurogamer.net : <BR><I> Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima has told Eurogamer that he looks forward to a day when people stop asking him whether MGS4 is coming out on Xbox 360. “I’ve been doing a lot of interviews and stage shows, and half the questions are like ‘Will MGS4 be coming out on 360 or other formats?’, and in the near future I hope they’ll ask me about Metal Gear, about us, about our future projects, and will stop caring about the hardware,” Kojima told Eurogamer in an interview published today. Pressed on MGS4’s exclusivity and the possibility of an Xbox 360 port, Kojima reiterated that the PS3 had been chosen because he believed that the series’ success had been entwined with PlayStation’s, and admitted that “because MGS4 was optimised for the PS3 it is probably not possible”. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: eurogamer.net
Xbox and Rock the Vote to Give Voters a New Platform for Change
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
From the press release: <BR><I> A leading gaming and entertainment platform just became a leading platform for change. Microsoft Corp. and Rock the Vote today announced a groundbreaking partnership that will allow Xbox 360 owners to register to vote, participate in presidential polls and voice their opinions to the presidential candidates. It will all happen through Xbox LIVE starting Monday, Aug. 25, the first day of the Democratic National Convention. “Xbox is a natural partner to help us reach out to youth voters,” said Heather Smith, executive director, Rock the Vote. “To realize our goal of registering 2 million young Americans by this fall, we need to go where young Americans are, and there’s no doubt in our minds that many are on Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE.” This is the first time that Rock the Vote has joined forces with an entertainment partner such as Xbox to reach voters under 30. Xbox LIVE is the largest online social network connected to the television, with membership totaling 12 million — if Xbox LIVE were a state, it would rank as the country’s seventh largest, giving it approximately 20 electoral votes. “The Xbox LIVE community is active, vocal and passionate,” said Marc Whitten, general manager of Xbox LIVE. “We’re thrilled to partner with Rock the Vote to make it easier than ever for youth voters — and our members — to register and be heard.” Through the Rock the Vote partnership, Xbox LIVE members will be able to register to vote, voice their opinions to the candidates through an exclusive forum and participate in potentially election-predicting polls. They will also be able to download Rock the Vote public service announcements. Xbox also will have a presence at both the Democratic and Republican conventions, promoting the Rock the Vote partnership and educating delegates about creating a safer entertainment environment on Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE using the built-in parental controls known as Family Settings. These industry-leading settings allow parents to limit their children’s access to video games and movies and manage their activity and communications on Xbox LIVE. For more information on Family Settings and other safety-enhancing gaming tools and resources, delegates can stop by the Xbox on-site kiosk or visit </I><BR><BR>
Speaking on PAX: Is Casual Killing Core Games?
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
From Andre Vrignaud’s Blog : <BR><I> Just wanted to let you all know that Rob and I will be participating on a panel at PAX next weekend. The topic is whether Casual Game influences are “killing” Core Games, and we’ve been able to get some great panelists together for the event. They include Mark Deloura (who previously managed Sony’s developer relations for Playstation and PSP), Jane Pinkard (of GameGirlAdvance fame), and of course everyone’s favorite actor-geek Wil Wheaton (aka Wesley from ST:TNG and the guy who did the PAX keynote last year.) N’Gai Croal of Newsweek/Level Up fame was also planning to join us, but unfortunately can’t make it due to a conflict. The panel will occur on Saturday, August 30th from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the Raven Theater. Is Casual Killing Core Games? Are you annoyed because casual gamers and casual gaming mechanics are killing your favorite games? Are you too busy playing Puzzle Quest to care? Do you think casual gaming is finally culling the herd of outdated gaming sacred cows? Come and watch industry insiders, top press, and celebrities debate whether casual should be feared or embraced. </I><BR><BR>
Xbox 360 fall update arriving in November?
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
From gamespot.com : <BR><I> What we heard: Not to belie the obvious, Microsoft has thus far only said that the dashboard overhaul will be rolled out this fall. However, confirmation of a more narrowed release window appeared to arrive earlier today. After attending a Microsoft London event last week demoing the new update, a representative of the publisher reportedly told UK gaming blog RPG-TV that the dashboard revamp would be pushed live in November. “I’m not sure if this has been confirmed already or not but I was told the new dashboard would arrive in November,” said the gaming blog. The official story: Unfortunately, it appears as if RPG-TV’s information was either erroneous or off the record. After contacting the publisher to confirm the validity of the information, a Microsoft representative told GameSpot, “We have not yet announced the timing of the fall update.” Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus that the fall Xbox Live dashboard update is a lock for November. However, given that the hardware maker’s last two fall updates arrived at the end of October and the beginning of December, a November launch is certainly possible. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: gamespot.com
UK Retailers: Xbox 360 60GB Sales Appear ‘Sluggish’
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
From brutalgamer.com : <BR><I> Sources from major game retailers GAME and Gamestation are reporting that sales for the latest SKU in the Xbox 360’s lineup have been slower than anticipated. A source from GAME said “the 60GB sales have been sluggish”. He added: “Microsoft expected a demand for the 60GB model but it just hasn’t come yet.” A source from Gamestation also reported lower than expected sales but insisted they “are still selling ok but just not at the rate Microsoft had wanted.” </I><BR><BR> Full Story: brutalgamer.com
Saling The World: Madden NFL 09 Leads U.S. Sales on 360 and PS3
Gamasutra Columns :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Gamasutra’s latest “Saling The World” charts see Madden NFL 09 outselling all Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 competition in its first week of release in North America, as Tales of Vesperia meets with an enthusiastic reception in Japan.
The New Xbox Experience at PAX
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
From Major Nelson’s Blog : <BR><I> If you’re going to attend the Penny Arcade Expo this weekend in Seattle, be sure to make time to stop by the Microsoft booth (Booth #412.) where I’ll be doing demos of the new Xbox experience. I’ll be bringing my dev kit with the latest build, and focusing on some of the previously announced features, like the guide, parties and more. Currently, I am scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at 10:30am and 3:30pm. The Gamerscoreblog has a post that shows the full schedule of activities in the booth, so there will be no shortage of things to see and do at the booth, in addition to the crazy PAX session schedule. </I><BR><BR>
August GiveAway At Gamepyre.com
Gamepyre :: Thursday, August 21, 2008
Hello Game Fans and hardware addicts, this months we have a really nice giveaway going on that is being sponsored by Thermaltake. Yes those who love their cases will be thrilled by this giveaway as we are giving away two of their most popular cases the Armor and the M9, which should be some attractive items to those who love Thermaltake products. Special thanks to Thermaltake for sponsoring this event here on Gamepyre. To win all you need to do is enter at the link below, don’t be shy, you cannot win if you don’t take he chance to enter. Good luck to everyone, see you in the forums……..
Critical Reception: Bizarre Creations’ Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Gamasutra Columns :: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
This week’s edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, an Xbox Live Arcade shooter sequel that critics say is a “superb sequel” that “bests the original in every respect.”
Xbox 360’s Dead Online Games
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
From oxm.co.uk : <BR><I> We take a handful of older games in the office and give them a whirl online, to see what’s left of the original communities… * Case 1. SMACKDOWN VS RAW TIME PLAYED: 30 MINUTES TOTAL PLAYERS: 14 * Case 2. FIFA 06: ROAD TO THE WORLD CUP TIME PLAYED: 30 MINUTES TOTAL PLAYERS: 1 * Case 3. F.E.A.R. TIME PLAYED: 20 MINUTES TOTAL PLAYERS: 8 * Case 4. BRIAN LARA INTERNATIONAL CRICKET TIME PLAYED: 1 HOUR TOTAL PLAYERS: 1 * Case 5. TENCHU Z TIME PLAYED: 30 MINUTES TOTAL PLAYERS: 8 * Case 6. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POKER TIME PLAYED: 10 MINUTES TOTAL PLAYERS: 14 * Some games with no players at all: -BLITZ THE LEAGUE -DEAD OR ALIVE XTREME 2 -MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE -WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SNOOKER 2007 </I><BR><BR> Full Story: oxm.co.uk
Release This: Madden NFL 09 Kicks Off in North America and UK
Gamasutra Columns :: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Gamasutra’s latest “Release This!” explores a week that finds Madden NFL 09 debuting in the U.S. alongside Line Rider 2: Unbound and Bangai-O Spirits, as Summer Athletics and Table Football premiere in the UK.
Release This: Tales of Vesperia, Fire Emblem DS Launch in Japan
Gamasutra Columns :: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Gamasutra’s latest “Release This!” explores a week that finds Tales of Vesperia and a Wii port of Imabikisou debuting alongside awaited portable offerings like Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken and Summon Night 2 in Japan.
(Japan) Tales of Vesperia pushed Xbox 360 above PS3
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
From news.vgchartz.com : <BR><I> Xbox 360 Software – Tales of Vesperia debuted for the Xbox 360 this week. The preliminary data puts the game at 113,000 units week one. Considering Blue Dragon is still the only Xbox 360 game to top 103,000 units in Japan, Microsoft and Namco have to be quite happy with how the game has done so far. From the Tales push, expect Xbox 360 hardware sales to hit 12,000 to 20,000 units this week. Expect PS3 hardware sales to remain in the 8,000 to 12,000 unit range this week. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: news.vgchartz.com
(US) Analysts July NPD Predictions: 360 to Outsell PS3
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
From gamedaily.com : <BR><I> Pachter is predicting Wii sales of 650K, compared to PS3 sales of 250K and Xbox 360 sales of 275K. The DS is expected to sell 575K, while the PSP sells 250K and the PS2 sells 125K. EEDAR’s Jesse Divnich has issued a similar forecast, with software sales increasing 43 percent to $601 million. He expects Wii sales of over 612K compared to 360 sales of over 325K and PS3 sales of over 275K. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: gamedaily.com
Critical Reception: D3/Treasure’s Bangai-O Spirits
Gamasutra Columns :: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
This week’s edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to Bangai-O Spirits, a Treasure-developed sequel that reviewers describe as “a shooter that celebrates shooters.”
Saling The World: Soulcalibur IV Debuts High in Worldwide Charts
Gamasutra Columns :: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Gamasutra’s latest “Saling The World” charts see Soulcalibur IV top weekly Xbox 360 and PS3 software sales in the U.S. and Japan, while Phantasy Star Portable leads overall Japanese cross-platform results.
Xbox launches its search for the UK’s definitive Gig organiser
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
From the press release: <BR><I> Microsoft today announced a unique opportunity for one lucky music lover to help create the gig of their dreams for real with its incredible MyGig promotion. All budding promoters have to do is visit www.xboxmygig.co.uk and create a flyposter to promote their ultimate gig using the online poster creator. They’ll then promote their gig idea to their mates – if it rates higher than anyone else’s they’ll have the opportunity to help Xbox to promote a gig for real with a massive ?50,000 budget*. “After an incredibly successful summer of music-led activity, we felt it was right to put the crowning event in the hands of a music fan to help us develop the gig of their dreams” commented Alex Weller, Brand Experience Manager, Xbox 360. “The synergy between music and gaming has never been closer, and with all of the best music entertainment experiences available on Xbox 360, we want to leave it to the fans to decide how the most exciting event of the year should roll out”. Festival-goers will also get the chance to rock out with Xbox at Virgin V Festival (16th-17th August), Get Loaded In The Park (24th August) and the finale of the summer festival season, Bestival (5th-7th September) on board the Xbox MyGig Tour Bus – a complete musical experience boasting a full stage and DJ booth, with sofas and demo stations inside for consumers to get their hands on the very latest music, entertainment and games that Xbox 360 offers. After pioneering some groundbreaking music activity over the summer, including an exclusive gig at Fabric headlined by Pendulum, the Xbox May Days, Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live, The Xbox Weekenders at Ibiza Rocks Hotel and unique activity at the Stag and Dagger, Great Escape and T in The Park festivals, Xbox 360 is entrusting the design and artist billing of the spectacular closing gig of the summer into the hands of one lucky consumer. Xbox and Xbox LIVE deliver not only the best music experiences, but the best entertainment experiences that you love, be it movies, games or connecting to your friends via LIVE Vision cam or MSN Messenger. For a chance to take part in this once in a lifetime opportunity, simply visit www.xboxmygig.co.uk or keep an eye out for the Xbox MyGig Tour Bus at Virgin V Festival, Get Loaded In The Park, and Bestival. The “Xbox Presents: MyGig” promotion ends at 23.59, 15th September 2008. </I><BR><BR>
Microsoft: ‘The Wii third party game story is not a pretty one’
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
From gamesindustry.biz : <BR><I> Last week, Nintendo of America’s vice president of corporate affairs, Denise Kai(info )gler, defended the Wii’s third party sales saying, “We are selling third party games and they are doing very well, and better than our competitors.” But according to NPD information obtained from Microsoft by GamesIndustry.biz, that Nintendo claim appears to be wrong: * Total third party sales for the Xbox 360 since launch is currently 67,929,999 units, followed by the Wii at 33,394,311 units and the PlayStation 3 at 19,976,325 units. * Third party sales for the Xbox 360 since the launch of the Wii and PS3 is 54,065,728 units, still almost double the Wii’s 33,394,311 units. * If you take the total number of units sold and divide that by the number of titles released since November 2006, the Xbox 360 and the PS3 are selling more units per title on average than the Wii. This puts the Xbox 360 at 217,252 units per title, the PS3 at 156,065 units and the Wii at 132,517 units. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: gamesindustry.biz
Sumo Sac Gamer Review
Icrontic :: Monday, August 11, 2008
“We took our big, hard, $800 sofa out of our media/game room at ICHQ and replaced it with the Sac and three Omnis. The end result: more room, more comfort, and the ability to open up the room and rearrange things on a whim. Is it worth $199? It depends on whether or not you have room for it. If you do, then I say a resounding “YES”, it’s worth it.”
ASUS Republic of Gamers Convention: Part 1
Techgage :: Monday, August 11, 2008
There’s an exciting event happening in Dallas that comes in the form of a LAN party. Not any usual LAN though, as it’s sponsored by some of the biggest companies in the business, including the event leader, ASUS. While the Dallas heat sure isn’t fun to deal with, the event more than makes up for it so far.
Another Store Inventory Listing Indicates Price Drop on Sept 7th
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Another leaked store inventory screenshot (1st one here if you missed it) found on imageshack.us suggests there will be a pricedrop of the Xbox 360 Arcade SKU to 199USD in the United States on September 7th. Earlier rumors said that not only will the ARCADE SKU drop to 199USD, but we’ll also see the ‘Pro’ 60GB at 299USD and the Elite at 399USD.
‘We Make The Bullets’ – EA Chief Talks Console War
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
From multiplayerblog.mtv.com : <BR><I> * Multiplayer: When they’re following E3 a lot of people get worked up about “How did Sony do?” “How did Microsoft do?” From EA’s perspective how do you view the fact that there are three strong players in the video game console market? Is that one too many? Would you prefer there to be two? What do you make of the competition? * John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts: The way I look at it is, first off, is having three strong platforms creators is spectacular for us. The metaphor I’ve used before is this: They make the war. We make the bullets. We’ll sell to any of them. We’re really pleased with that. And as long as that level of innovation comes about as a consequence of that competition, that’s good for us. Remember, last year we were the leading third-party developer for the Wii. We’re one of the leading developers on virtually every platform. Their battle is good for us and the consumer, because the level of innovation there is spectacular. And I wouldn’t limit it to the three. Remember things like the Nintendo DS. Remember the iPhone. Remember the PSP. Note that last year one of the top-selling platforms was the PS2. What’s happening is there’s more platforms and more choices. And as there’s more platforms and choices, there’s consumers involved in our industry. And that’s really what’s best, all that innovation. Don’t forget the PC. The PC is one of the fastest growing platforms for games – full stop. Not the packaged good at retail, but businesses like Pogo Online — go to Pogo.com and you’ll see it — advertising models, subscription models like we’ve got right out the door here with “Warhammer.” It’s just a dynamic exciting time for the industry. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: multiplayerblog.mtv.com
Mole attack: 360 price cuts on all hardware in September?
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
A ‘trusty’ mole over at arstechnica.com told ’em Microsoft will introduce a price drop for all Xbox360 SKUs in September: <BR><I> Early Sept price reduction on X360 hardware: * Arcade (no hard drive) to $199 * Pro (60GB) to $299 * Elite (120GB) to $399 We should also expect hardware and game bundles for all hardware versions coming in the fourth quarter, just in time for the holidays. The last time the mole talked to me, before he became a super-villain, he told me the 60GB model of the hardware was coming, and he was right on the money with that one. Those prices should be considered rumors, but I’d be very surprised if this wasn’t accurate information. Very sexy pricing. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: arstechnica.com
Square Enix: 360 FFXIII development hasn’t begun
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
From gamespot.com : <BR><I> Today at its DK Sigma3173 Event, Square Enix made a series of announcements. Director Motomu Toriyama didn’t beat around the bush when Nomura asked him questions about the 360 FFXIII. Starting off, he reconfirmed that, “We haven’t changed the direction of the development. We’re making the PS3 version first, and then porting to the 360 later.” That means that since the game will be released simultaneously on both platforms in North America and Europe, the PS3 release will be held back in those territories until the 360 version is complete. Furthermore, Toriyama also revealed that, as of July 29, his team hasn’t yet received the tools needed to begin work on the Xbox 360 version of FFXIII. “I’m telling them to not think about the Xbox 360 right now,” he said. “We can think about it after the development kits arrive.” The designer also reassured PS3 owners that the game’s quality would not suffer due to the 360 port. “We aren’t going to change any specifications [of FFXIII] because of the multi-platform announcement,” he declared. “Right now, we’re fully concentrating on the PS3 version.” </I><BR><BR> Full Story: gamespot.com
Hitachi v79 unlock tool
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
A method is released from one of our members on how to unlock the Hitachi v79 in order to dump and flash with fwtoolbox… Turorial: 1. Unrar the file 2. Burn the CD Image, I used ImgBurn…. 3. Put 79 in Mode B 3. Insert the CD in the 79 and play the track, wait for it to finish… 4. Then press play again and straight away pause it, you should hear some noise 5. Eject the disk, using the eject button not the PC ( it does something different) 6. Run the the command in a command window 79Unlock h // where h is the drive letter of the 79 7. If all went well bit 4 of (0x5BD) should be set and the drive should be unlocked 8. Drive will dump and flash with Toolbox… 9. This is a tempory unlock, (0x5BD) is in RAM and would need to be done each time you power the drive, although I’ve posted how to by pass this with the drive unlocked with a passkey….. 10. Has not been extensively tested but worked on 6 drives to day so far… Thanks to OggyUK, mp3boy, Antman1 with the testing…. Also RKO Pheonix needs a mention as he unwittingly leant his 360 to Oggy today…. and Seventhson for the help early on and his fabulous blog Let me say a big thank you, and great job! Official Site: n/a (by podger) Download: here News-Source: forums.xbox-scene.com
Edge’s Don Mattrick Interview
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
From edge-online.com : <BR><I> * Lips, You’re In The Movies and Scene It? Box Office Smash are also aimed at expanding Xbox’s reach but they’re game types that have already shown considerable success on other formats. Does this show you’re not taking too many risks on the software side? * Don Mattrick: When you say not taking too many risks, I think there’s kind of a natural evolution of packaged goods, products and experiences coming to the market – this coming year we estimate there will be about 150 titles on Xbox 360, and the majority will be E-rated. And if you’re into M-rated content there will be some spectacular games. I think that breadth of titles naturally expands an audience, and I also think that we’re all finding our own sense of identity inside the market. We’re leading in terms of hours played – a recent study showed that 18-26-year-olds are roughly spending 75 hours a week with our box, which is pretty amazing. That audience tends to be the leader, it tends to influence younger siblings in a household in terms of what’s cool and what’s hot in the consumer electronics space. * What have you taken from the hardware problems Xbox 360 has faced? * Don Mattrick: Well, I think we built a pretty amazing box. It was unfortunate that we had some hardware challenges but I totally applaud the way the company dealt with that in being up-front and implementing the warranty. It’s unfortunate when anything you create fails, but consumers have appreciated the fact we’ve said: ‘This is a mistake, and this is how we’re going to fix it’. People continue to use and evangelize about the product even when faced with this challenge, and I think our team’s done an amazing job with fixing it. </I><BR><BR> Note: 75h a week, really? And I’m Bill Gates. Oh wait … ;) Full Interview: edge-online.com
VGC Source Also Confirms Xbox360 September 7th Price Drop
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
From vgchartz.com : <BR><I> Thanks to an amazing VGChartz member, we have strong reason to believe the Ars Technica price drop rumor is indeed true, with a photo to prove it. This picture is confirmation of the earlier Ars Technica article from an informant stating that the Xbox 360 would drop it’s price in September to $199.99 for the Core, $299.99 for the 60GB model, and $399.99 for the 120GB Elite model. This picture shows nearly irrefutable proof that those rumors are substantiated, and are set to happen in just over a month. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: vgchartz.com
Id’s Carmack: ‘360’s the better platform’ for contemporary games
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
From eurogamer.net : <BR><I> Id Software technical director John Carmack has said that it’s easier to realise the potential of the Xbox 360 hardware but that the PS3 has certain theoretical advantages, and he speculates that Blu-ray could play a decisive role in the console war in future. “What you can say really quite clearly and not get into too much argument about it is that the 360 is much easier to develop for, it’s easier to get the performance out of it that it can deliver, and the rasterizer, the GPU side is generally faster than what the PS3 has,” Carmack told Eurogamer at QuakeCon. “You could design a game where the PS3 would be the superior platform, but you’d have to go out of your way to do it. If you’re doing a game like people just want to do games now, the 360’s the better platform.” </I><BR><BR> Full Story: eurogamer.net
Release This: Soulcalibur IV, Rhythm Tengoku Gold Debut Worldwide
Gamasutra Columns :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Gamasutra’s latest “Release This!” explores a week that brings the worldwide debut of Namco Bandai fighter Soulcalibur IV and the Japanese portable premieres of DS music game Rhythm Tengoku Gold and Sega’s PSP action/RPG Phantasy Star Portable.
Microsoft ‘wasn’t in the right place’ to acquire Bizzare
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
From gamesindustry.biz : <BR><I> Sarah Chudley, Bizarre Creations’ commercial director, has explained that Microsoft “wasn’t in the right place” to acquire her company. Speaking to Videogaming247, Chudley said that Bizzare Creations, which was acquired by Activision last year, wasn’t bought by Microsoft due to the company’s “internal structure” and single platform focus. “Obviously as the publisher they had to know what was going on, but their internal structure probably wasn’t in the right place to buy things at the time,” she said. “And they’re a single format. OK, Xbox is doing fantastically, but who knows what’s going to happen in the future?” </I><BR><BR> Full Story: gamesindustry.biz
Rare dev: ‘I don’t think 360 has reached its limit’
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
From videogamer.com : <BR><I> Speaking to VideoGamer.com at the Develop conference in Brighton last week, Nick Burton, a senior software engineer at Rare, has assured Xbox 360 gamers that there’s plenty more to come from the console. “You never can push them as far as they can go. The reality of the peak performance of the console is yes, you could look to a generation beyond where we are now and think, yeah, I could use that power. But the reality is in 360 and the PS3 and the latest generation PC graphics, the amount of power in the GPUs is such that you’re more bound by your creativity and the aesthetic you’re going for than you’re really bound by polygon pushing power,” said Burton. “You’re probably actually more bound maybe by art authoring and the amount of data throughput that, just the amount of memory you’d need, but I don’t think 360 has reached its limit.” </I><BR><BR> Full Story: videogamer.com
Microsoft: We Want More Exclusives
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
From edge-online.com : <BR><I> Microsoft, which has been able to capture some important (timed) third-party exclusives such as Rock Band 2 and BioShock, continues to chase more exclusive deals to differentiate Xbox 360 from competitors. Asked about Xbox 360’s weaknesses, Microsoft interactive entertainment boss Don Mattrick replied, “We’d love to have more exclusive hits on our box, absolutely. Are we investing in that? Yes we are. Does that take a lot of time? Yes it does.” Microsoft’s exclusive deals go beyond the boxed product. Grand Theft Auto IV and Fallout 3 will both offer exclusive downloadable content for the Xbox 360 versions. PS3 players wanting an extended experience for those games are out of luck. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: edge-online.com
uxrip360 0.3
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Klewan released a new version of uxrip360 – a Linux based Xbox 360 game dumper. What’s new/fixed: * xtract-stealth also extracts now default.xex (required for a full stealth check) * check-stealthfiles checks a set of SS/DMI/PFI and default.xex against all implemented stealth checks +needed to verify those marked-as-bad-stealth-by-schtrom bourne files (thx @stacker69) * extraction of default.xex added * full stealth check even before game partition dump starts :) * XEX-ID code clean up, reorganisation * Game name is now goin to get looked up :) +the XEX Media ID is used to match against a CSV file (see below in additional notes) +gives you the game name on verifing a iso +gives the name on rip-a-rip’s +gives the name right a few seconds after a rip has started * colors can be turned of with “-C” flag * more colorful output * autodiscover now trys to find the kreon drive with a disc inside, if you have more than one :) * verified the VAD6038 drive with benq0800 FW * a few compile warnings on Kubuntu fixed * non-cmdline progressbar improved (watch out for a GUI on its way) * a .dvd file is created after rip for those who use cloneCD or whoever needs it :) Official Site: n/a (IRC: #uxrip360 on EFNET) Download: n/a Full NFO/Readme: xbins.org
Critical Reception: Namco Bandai’s Soulcalibur IV
Gamasutra Columns :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
This week’s edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to this week’s debuting fighter sequel Soulcalibur IV, which initial reviews claim is “unquestionably [Namco Bandai’s] best fighting game to date.”
Rage and id’s Love/Hate Relationship with the PS3
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
From kotaku.com : <BR><I> Last night John Carmack took to the stage at QuakeCon and inadvertently ignited a fanboy flamewar. Id’s upcoming open-world shooter Rage, he told the assembled gamers, will look worse on the Xbox 360 [than PS3 or PC] because of storage issues. “We have concerns (about the 360 version of Rage) because of the economics of the platform in terms of what it costs to go to multiple discs,” Hollenshead said. “There is disc space issue on the 360, and if we cant find a clever way or compromise with Microsoft to address that issue… even though we feel the 360 has superior hardware, the size limitations may mean that we may not have as much texture density or resolution on the 360 version. “Let me be clear, this is an open question, we have these tech issues and we are working with Microsoft to solve them.” And the issue isn’t just about the game being too big, Hollenshead says that developers lose upwards of 2 gigs of space per a disc because of information Microsoft requires developers to put on the discs. While allowing the game to be installed on the Xbox 360’s harddrive may help, it actually wouldn’t solve that problem, Hollenshead added. </I><BR><BR> Full Story: kotaku.com
Bethesda: Why we prefer the Xbox
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
From techradar.com : <BR><I> Bethesda’s Peter Hines has explained why the software giants behind Oblivion and the forthcoming Fallout 3 use the Xbox 360, rather than PC or PlayStation as their main development platform. “If you have the PC as your lead machine you have the problem of not knowing what configurations people have, how many gigs of RAM or what graphics card they have,” explained Hines. “Obviously we are more familiar with the Xbox because we are familiar and the other thing is that the Xbox is much easier to take to tech shows. “We can just pop the hard-drive off the Xbox and put it on any machine which is an advantage. Taking the PC or PS3 to these things just isn’t convenient.” </I><BR><BR> Full Story: techradar.com
THQ Declares Traditional Hardware Cycles Dead
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
From multiplayerblog.mtv.com : <BR><I> It’s time to throw out the old playbook, says THQ president and CEO Brian Ferrell, because the the industry’s traditional hardware cycles no longer exist. “We used to always think of this industry as ‘the cycle.'” said Ferrell. “I think the reality now is there are several sub-cycles.” THQ’s leader sees at least three separate sub-cycles: 1) the handheld market, 2) what Nintendo’s done with Wii and 3) the continued competition between Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. There’s even an emerging sub-cycle in the online world, he said. “It’s hard now to talk about ‘the cycle’ — I think we have to talk about all of the cycles,” he said. “The way we think about it at THQ is we plan our business around each of those platforms, not around ‘the cycle.'” </I><BR><BR> Full Story: multiplayerblog.mtv.com
Xbox 360 Avatars Restricted to Non-violent Games
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
From shacknews.com : <BR><I> Speaking at Microsoft’s GameFest event in Seattle, Xbox Live general manager Eric Kilgore explained that while the Avatars–Microsoft’s answer to Nintendo’s Miis–are currently planned only to be allowed for use in titles rated E10+ and lower, that restriction may change in the future. “We are still developing the final policies,” Kilgore stated, as reported by Develop. “The final guide we have this year is to think of them in an ‘E10’ context. That doesn’t mean it won’t change–but this Fall they won’t be able to blow each other’s heads off.” </I><BR><BR> Full Story: shacknews.com
QuakeCon 2008 – Paint, Glue & Sponge Bob
Tweak Town :: Tuesday, August 05, 2008
QuakeCon is many things to many people. For the pro gamer it is a place to show your skills; challenging the best of the best and competing against the world’s top teams in everything from Guitar Hero to different variations of Quake. Gamers old and new travel to Dallas, Texas every year, trying to compete for their piece of the prize money.
Computer enthusiasts who do not compete on the professional level also attend QuakeCon. Many are there to participate in LAN gaming in what is known as the BYOC, or Bring Your Own Computer. This area features some of the world’s top enthusiasts, some flying in from places like Sweden, Germany and even Asia. The computers they bring are often one off, custom enclosures that take up to several months to fabricate.”
How the Wii is Beating the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3
Digital Trends :: Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Nintendo has gotten family and friends involved with their system without the multimedia sharing capabilities that the other systems offer.